Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes! –Seneca

That’s not to say you shouldn’t prepare in case of calamity. Just don’t be a Negative Nellie about it. (Pretty sure it was the Stoics who invented the phrase ‘Negative Nellie.’ I could be wrong, though.)

Man’s mind is so formed that it is far more susceptible to falsehood than to truth. — Erasmus

This may explain the past election, yes? But the problem with thinking how it applies to other people is that we don’t consider how it might apply to us. Humility is key.

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. –Bertrand Russell

Ah, that Bertrand. Always the card. Yet his words give us caution.
It is when we feel most certain of ourselves that we’re most likely playing the fool. The only safe course is to continue reading and learning from a wide variety of sources, remaining open to other viewpoints, and always doubting our cocksure opinions.
Don’t like feeling uncertain? Well, consider what an existentialist has to say:

The misery and greatness of this world: it offers no truths, but only objects for love. Absurdity is king, but love saves us from it. –Albert Camus

Now is not the time for gloating or crying fowl. Instead, all we need is love, love, love.
But however catchy a tune, love can be hard.

I don’t mean to be overly flippant about this. We need to recognize that there are people who are genuinely pained their candidate lost. And I may be one of them.
In case I am, let’s hear from the Stoics again:

Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone – those that are now and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the ‘what’ is in constant flux, the ‘why’ has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what’s right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us – a chasm whose depths we cannot see. –Marcus Aurelius

Some look at the transience of life as frightening, but in truth, it should be a comfort. Whatever worry or sadness you or I may be feeling, it will pass. Life moves on and somehow we find a way to trudge through, hopefully forgive one another, love each other, and once again be happy.

Cookies help. Cookies always help.

Pierre Hermé & Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies

I first came across these cookies at Food52.com. (Click HERE for the original recipe).
I don’t know who Pierre and Dorie are, but they contend if everyone was given one of these cookies warm from the oven, there would be world peace. And while I’m not one for overly simplistic solutions, you gotta admit, this one sounds like a winner.
These aren’t your typical soft cookies, as they have a crunchier texture. Sort of like a pecan sandie, only with chocolate. I think if you added a couple eggs and extra flour, you’d get a softer cookie. Fairly certain it wouldn’t hinder world peace.

1 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick & 3 Tablespoons butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

Using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the dry ingredients and blend in just until combined (I did this with a wooden spoon rather than the mixer). Stir in chocolate chips.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Shape the dough into logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap them in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for three hours or overnight. (The logs I made were about 8 to 9 inches long – dampen your hands with water and you can form the dough in a snap.)

Preheat oven to 325 °F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a knife, slice the logs into rounds that are about 1/2-inch thick. Arrange on baking sheets leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, no more. They won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but don’t sweat it. Let cookies cool a little before scarfing them… I mean sharing them with friends and enemies alike, thereby making more friends and establishing peace on earth. ❤

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Hi! I’m Christi. Observer of life in all its messy and glorious details. Whenever I find something interesting or just plain amusing, I share it here. So stick around! You might find something interesting too.

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